Santa Rosa Plateau

I'm fairly sure that there was something in between the baptism and our trip to the Santa Rosa Plateau, but... I can't remember!  THAT is really why I take so many pictures!  So I can remember all of our activities!  :o)
On 14 May, a Saturday afternoon... AFTER baseball AND soccer games, we went "hiking" with the Bozeman's.  Fun times, except that Ella fell within 10 mins. or so and made us pay for the rest of the time with her infernal WHINING!  Lexi was soooooo nice and OFFERED to pick her up and give her a piggy-back for a long time!  And she did great.  She carried her much farther than I expected!
Enjoy the pictures of our adventure!  I was there... just not represented in the digital format!  :o)

Alvin leading the pack... followed by Lexi, Alyssa, and Braeden.

You can see... almost... everyone but me.  Braeden, Alvin, Lexi, Alyssa, and Tristin's arm in the front, followed by Theresa, and finally Ella.

Desperately searching for the water snake that I saw pop its head out of the water.  We never did see him again.

It's okay, Ella... your big sister will save you!  :o)

Alyssa almost stepped on this guy... and then Theresa just picked it right up... eeww.  I don't like bugs and creepy-crawlies like my kids do.

But it was fuzzy and cute... when it was in someone else's hand!

We must all check it out!

And then take turns holding it!  Braeden

Lexi

... but no Ella!  :o)  She's like me.  She'll admire from afar!  This is another one just hanging out in the tree that was hanging over the trail.

Getting some good exercise in the fresh outdoor air!

I can't remember what we had stopped for, but the boys got bored.  Haha!

Post-fall...

Lexi is TRYING to be nice!

Yay for happy girls!

Love them!  Lexi is such a good girl.  And I need to tell her that more often.  I tend to focus more on her whining and attitude, but I'm committing to be better about giving her the praise she so totally deserves!

Alvin and Tristin running to catch up!

 

Butt-crack rock.  J/K... sort of...

And speaking of cracks... Haha!  This just happened to be the next picture I snapped!  Braeden's crazy!

This was literally Ella the ENTIRE time!

The extent of the wildlife... besides the water snake that no one got to see.

Nursing the invisible wound.

A snack and water break!  All the cute kids!  Tristin, Braeden in the back, then Lexi, Ella, and Alyssa in the front.

I guess I fibbed a little about the wildlife... Braeden did spot this and ventured off the beaten path to try to catch it... into the June grass.

And oh... he paid for it.  This is a crappy picture, but he had stickers EVERYWHERE.  He actually gave in and threw these shoes away when we got home.  I had been telling him to do so for several weeks.  He is SOOO HARD on shoes.

She fell again... And Lexi is trying to console her... I really couldn't resist the face... not because of the pouting... look harder!  :o)

See it now?  Notice all the DIRT on her face???  Really, Ella??

Lexi checking some stuff through the magnifying glasses in the visitor center.

And yes... these were some of the things she was looking at.  ICK!  Really??  That's just lovely.

And here are the animals that go along with the above "scat."

 We didn't spend too long there... just about perfect, I would say, with the exception of Ella's whining.  When she's happy things are wonderful and fun... and when she's not... it's just painful for everyone.  Oh, well!  They liked it anyway!  Maybe we'll go back with Ella wrapped in some bubble tape next time!  :o)